La Virgen- Madre de Dios by Julie Ann Lake-Díaz

Artist: Julie Ann Lake-Díaz

Title: La Virgen- Madre de Dios

Medium: Oil on Masonite

Price: $1,800

Artist Statement: A complicated and profoundly important part of identity is faith. My mother came from a devoutly Catholic family. Our family’s tradition in the Catholic faith can be traced back centuries. The image and belief in Holy Mary, mother of God is a sacred figure within the catholic faith. She is approachable and beloved for her goodness in being the vessel to bring the Son of God to the earth. I have noticed how in my own practice in my faith that she has all but disappeared, and it’s not to strange to think how Christianity replaced the cherished beliefs of the indigenous people of the southern tip of the South American continent.

Artist Bio: Julie Ann Lake-Díaz is a mixed Latina woman. Her work explores themes of faith, and Chilean identity. Most Chileans like Julie Ann and her family have a shared indigenous and European ancestry. Pieces of history are quite literally interwoven into the DNA, and can be traced to Northern Africa, indigenous groups spanning up and down the west coast of the South American continent, and also include ancestry from Portugal, Spain and Italy. Painting has been a vital tool for Julie Ann in exploring her identity and in claiming her family’s past.